Rattling, overheating unit - do I need to post my own thread to get some customer service?

Let’s try it in it’s own thread. I would love to get my unit replaces, but nobody at the company seems interested in keeping their current customers happy.

I got one of the kickstarter Precision Cookers, and love it. I was doing an overnight cook, and woke up in the middle of the night to a rattling. I got up to check it out, and the cooker was rattling, and VERY hot. The kitchen smelled like burning electricity. I immediately unplugged it and started checking the shield to see if it was loose (it wasn’t). I left it to cool down and went back to bed. The next morning, I figured that I’d try to replicate the issue to see if it still did it. It got super hot and smelled like burning electricity, but I didn’t let it get hot enough to start the rattle again.

I contacted Anova that day to request a return. They were quick to get back to me and sent me a link for return requests. I immediately filled out that request,(this was Monday morning - now 3 days ago) and haven’t heard back since. I am feeling pretty pissed off about the whole situation, and they don’t have a phone number on their website to call. I just want a new cooker that I don’t have to worry about burning down my house.

Hi @Gypsybagelhands, I’m so sorry that your unit has been causing you issues - I am processing your return now so we can get you back to sous vide-ing ASAP! Please refer to our support thread as I will be sending your label via email. Thank you for your patience and again, I apologize for the delay.

My new appliance started rattling, on the third use, so I disassembled the steel cover and found, that the screw holding the impeller in place was loose. I tightened it with a pliers and a Phillips head screwdriver, and it’s working fine now.

I’ve found that the screw tends to get loose occasionally on mine, too. It’s never rattled too bad – but I notice it when I’m taking the sleeve off to dry. I then finger-tighten. Haven’t bothered screwdriver-tightening.

My new appliance started rattling, on the third use, so I disassembled the steel cover and found, that the screw holding the impeller in place was loose. I tightened it with a pliers and a Phillips head screwdriver, and it's working fine now.

Yeah. I wouldn’t have been concerned if it wasn’t extraordinarily hot and smelled like burning electricity. That and I couldn’t replicate the rattling when I tried the next day.

They have sent me a call tag for my existing unit.

I had the same problem with my unit. Ordered in September and got it ~3 months later and it lasted all of 3 weeks and 6 uses. I had the rattling periodically too and then poof - now it’s totally dead. I submitted a ticket on Jan 12 and still nothing. Not pleased at all.

My recommendation would be to make a stink. Seems like the only way they respond to issues.

@jasona‌ Checking your return now, will have news ASAP. Thank you !

Update: Anova has sent me a new unit that should be arriving in a couple of days so I certainly have to give them credit for stepping up to resolve this. Hopefully the new unit is more solid since I was liking my first one in general before it died.

I have had a similar experience. I have cooked with my precision cooker about 5 times. On the second or third time some rattling started up. I shut it down and disassembled it and put it back together and it was still rattling. I took the sleeve off again and rotated it to a different orientation. The rattling stopped. Yesterday, I put in a chuck roast to cook for ~34 hours. During the night the alarm woke me up. The Cooker had stopped and was sitting there singing away. I took it apart and checked everything out and found nothing. Put it back together and turned it on, it made two growling attempts and shut down. Sort of two buzzes like it was trying to start.

I have contacted Anova and they sent me to the return request site. Hope it doesn’t take as long to get this worked out as you guys are relating. We have been absolutely loving it. Already miss it big time.

@Art We’re so sorry to hear about this, our team is processing your request and will follow up with you shortly. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Thanks for your patience, we hope to get you back to sous vide cooking as soon as possible!